
Gamja Jorim are potatoes crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and braised in a delicious sweet soy sauce. This Korean potato side dish is easy, quick and so simple to make!

Today I’m brining you one of my favourite banchan (Korean side dish): Gamja Jorim!
Ingredients for Gamja Jorim (+Substitutions)
What kind of potatoes to use
Any variety of potatoes can be used for this dish. Waxy potatoes such as yukon golds, red potatoes, fingerling and new potatoes are most commonly used for braising because they tend to hold their shape much better. I personally like to use starchier potatoes (white potatoes or russets) because they come out much more fluffy on the inside. However, they do tend to break apart easier so be careful when flipping them over.
Braising Sauce
- Garlic
- Soy Sauce: Use tamari for gluten free.
- Dark soy sauce: Substitute for more soy sauce or tamari
- Mirin: Substitute for sake
- Sugar
- Korean Syrup: Maple syrup, agave or any liquid sweeter can also be used. Or, use more sugar.
- Black Pepper
How to Korean Braised Potatoes
First mix together the braising sauce ingredients and water in a bowl.
Next, chop the potatoes into 1 – 1 1/2 inch chunks (I personally like larger chunks). Rinse the potatoes to remove excess starch (especially if using starchy potatoes, you can even leave them in some water them for a few minutes).
Pan fry the potatoes over medium high heat for about 4-6 minutes (depending on the type of potatoes and size) or until all the sides of potatoes are crispy and golden brown. Then add the sauce, increase the heat to high and let it come to a boil. Once it begins to boil, stir, cover and reduce heat to medium and let it braise– stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Braise until you can pierce a toothpick through it (be careful not to overcook).
Uncover the pan, increase the heat back up to medium high to let the sauce thicken. Turn off the heat, drizzle with a touch of sesame oil and top it off with some sesame seeds.
Variations
- Vegetables: Add carrots, onions, bell peppers or pumpkin for some more colour and textures.
- To make it spicy: If you like a little heat, add in a bit of gochujang or gochugaru to the sauce mix.
- Roasting: Instead of pan frying, you can also roast the potatoes first and then braise it in the sauce. This method takes a little longer but has a delicious depth of flavour to it.
How to store
Braised potatoes can be kept refrigerated in an air tight container for up to 4 days. It tastes great served cold, room temperature or warm.
More delicious Korean dishes to try:
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Gamja Jorim (Korean Braised Potatoes)
Ingredients
Braising Sauce
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy saue (or sub more soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2–3 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Korean syrup
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1/3 + 2 tbsp water
Other
- 1 lbs potatoes (500g)
- Sesame seeds
- Sesame oil
Instructions
- Add all the braising sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- Chop the potatoes into 1 – 1 1/2 inch chunks. Rinse the potatoes to remove excess starch. Add 1 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil to a pot or pan and sauté the potatoes over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes. Mix it around and flip the potatoes when you start to hear the bottom sizzle to ensure it doesn’t burn, but cooked long enough to get them crispy.
- Once potatoes are pan fried on all sides, add braising sauce. Bring it to boil over high heat. Stir, cover and reduce to medium heat and let it braise stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, increase heat to medium high and cook until sauce thickens. Drizzle with sesame oil, sesame seeds and enjoy!
Notes
- To make it spicy: add 1 tbsp gochujang or 1-2 tsp gochugaru to the braising sauce.
- Helpful Equipment: non-stick shallow pot or deep pan
- Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓
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This recipe was perfect! We had it with carrots and served it with some kimchi. The potatoes were crunchy and also fluffy. Such an easy and delicious way to finish off our bag of potatoes! Thank you so much 🙂
★★★★★
I have so many potatoes and would always wanted to cook new recipe for family to try. So glad I’ve found this recipe and I have all the ingredients. It was so easy and simple and turned out very good taste. I will definitely try out the other recipes in the future. Thanks Lisa!
★★★★★
I always have potatoes lying around, so I will definitely be making this again! It takes no time to make and can be easily doubled. It has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy! 🤤🥔🌶
★★★★★
Just made it after seeing your TikTok video. So yummy!
★★★★★
These were amazing! I have a fond memory of potatoes like these that I used to share with my husband at a little restaurant that is no longer around, and these potatoes are just like them. I will definitely be making them again 🙂 Thank you!!
★★★★★
This recipe is perfect: easy to do and packed with flavors and textures!
It will definitely become the kind of recipe I am happy to do on a regular basis, whenever I don’t know what to do with my potatoes.
★★★★★
Made this after watching your video on instagram and had to make it immediately. It was the perfect mix of salty and sweet. The potatoes came out both tender and slightly crispy at the same time *chef’s kiss*. Will be adding it to my weekly dinner rotation.
★★★★★
Absolutely loved this recipe! I made a couple of small adjustments for what I had (skipped the syrup, subbed black sesame seeds & added gochujang), and it was just perfect. I will definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Really good and soo easy to make!:)
★★★★★
Very easy to follow recipe and tasted so good!! The potatoes came out nice and soft with a flavorful coating, I like to spice it up and add peppers. Overall a great easy recipe!
★★★★★
Look no further : this is the BEST gamja jorim recipe ever ! The flavours are perfectly balanced, I just can’t stop eating it when I make it ! It has become a mandatory dish everytime I make a Korean meal !
★★★★★
I had never tried cooking potatoes this way and omg I love it !!
I will definitely make this again, thank you so much
★★★★★
I love it so much. It’s quite easy to make. And you have all the spices at home anyway, when you cook a lot of Asian food.
★★★★★
What a joy i had when found this recipe! I was tired of the same potato dishes and needed something new. What is nice, that this recipe is so easy to use and so tasty to eat. The potatoes are so soft. I just added some grated garlic, because I love them. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
★★★★★